People & Inspiration

No one goes far in life by staying in one place. If you think you've found your passion or calling, then kudos to you! But, sometimes, when we think we've finally discovered our purpose in life, we discover that we were actually meant to do or be something else!

More than dazzling good looks and amazing talents, Thai superstar ToR Saksit and our very own Dance Princess Maja Salvador share one more thing in common: the two stars are fearless about moving past their comfort zones. Neither has ever imagined getting into the music business when they first began their careers. But, fast-forward to 2017, both artists have recorded a song entitled "Falling Into You" and just finished its production!

We recently managed to sit down with Maja and ToR, to ask them about their respective experiences when it comes to dipping their toes into the water and eventually diving right in. These two are living proof that pushing yourself and going beyond your comfort zone gets you a lot farther in life. Read up on what they learned from their respective journeys!

Maja Salvador

A lot of people have been doubtful of the Dance Princess' decision to venture into music, but that's only because they don't know the story behind it. On her 10th year in showbiz, she decided to go around the country and thank her fans. It was during a mall show when Ivory Music heard her sing and made her an offer.

When Maja got offered the chance to record her own album, she was the first to question herself, "Dancer and actress? Tapos biglang kakanta? Parang lahat pinasok?" She took a big risk inspite of her hesitations and released her first single, "Dahan-Dahan." After its success, her fans' reception was all she needed to own the title of "recording artist" confidently!

A lot of opportunities are wasted when the fear of failure takes over. While Maja knew she was far from a diva, it didn't stop her from producing two albums. These also serve as a message she wants to give to other aspiring artists. "Magtatanong sila, 'Bakit kinaya niyang kumanta?'" Maja's solid answer? "Kasi nag-try siya."

For Maja, the trick to growing is knowing your limitations, improving on what you can do, and learning what you cannot do. "Walang masama kung i-push mo ang sarili mo na matututnan mo kung paano ang tamang pagkanta," said the Dance Princess.

ToR Saksit

At the age of three, ToR could already play classical piano. By the time he was ten, he already knew he wanted to be work in the music industry. Nine years later, he did just that.

ToR was used to working in the background: arranging and playing piano accompaniment for other artists' songs and producing music. "When you write songs, you have an idea of what you want to do with it," says ToR when he asked about his decision to push beyond the background work and step into the recording booth. It was because he wanted to perfect the delivery of his work from its songwriting down to its performance. However, he confessed he never dreamed he would come this far. Eleven albums and several national awards later, he traveled to the Philippines to continue working on a project with a foreign artist. "I feel like a new artist starting over again," shared ToR. Life may seem great now, but there's always something better out there for us. "I think we all need to keep stepping out of our comfort zones," the Thai pop singer quipped. "When you do something new and you dare to do something that you're not used to, you improve and you grow." Preach!

Watch out for Maja and Tor's ballad duet which is slated for a February 2018 release! We're counting the days down until then!